Dianthus plumarius Scent First Sugar Plum

The Dianthus 'Scent First Sugar Plum' is a modern carnation that surprises and seduces with its chocolate-colored flower buds opening into double and bicolored flowers, curiously splashed with pale pink to white on the edges of the petals of a deep pink-red. This variety, like all the carnations in the Scent First series, has a compact habit and offers a long and pleasantly fragrant summer flowering. Particularly suitable for container gardening due to its small size and floribundity, it is also an excellent perennial for sunny borders, where it forms persistent cushions of beautiful grey-blue even in winter.

The carnation or Dianthus 'Scent First Sugar Plum' belongs to the family of Caryophyllaceae. It is a recent cultivar selected in England, resulting from the cross-breeding between D. plumarius and D. gratianopolitanus among others. Dianthus plumarius is a European perennial that is the main ancestor of different groups of carnations, old-fashioned or modern. Dianthus gratianopolitanus, native to Europe and Asia, has passed on to its descendants, among other things, its compact habit and its wonderful clove fragrance which is recognizable among all. The growth of this carnation is quite rapid. Its adult size will not exceed 25 cm (10in) in height with a spread of 25 cm (10in) or more. This carnation forms a dense tuft, from which emerge, from May-June to August, wide 3-4cm (1-2in) flowers, double, with particularly undulating and slightly toothed petals, carried at the end of short, often branched stems. Its linear, glabrous, pointed, evergreen and leathery leaves are of a superb gray-blue color.

The Dianthus 'Sugar Plum' is an original and floriferous plant, ideal for terraces or balconies, hardy to at least -15°C, not demanding in terms of water, but sun-loving. It will also thrive in well-drained borders, slopes, and rock gardens. Its beautiful bicolored and fragrant flowers bring a lot of brightness and personality to even the most modest decor. For example, it can be associated with its siblings from the Scent First series ('Romance', 'Raspberry Sundae') or placed in front of other carnations, white, red or pink ('Devon Dove', 'Devon Magic', 'Devon Cream', 'Letitia Wyatt'). It will also accompany the blue bells of campanulas, the lavender-blue mounds of catmints, small lavenders, or flowering cushions such as catchflies, wall bellflowers, Caucasian rock cress, creeping phlox, or Mexican fleabane. To evoke gardens of the past, you can plant a small border of these delightful carnations at the base of peony clumps and old roses. This plant forms a lovely garnish on or between the stones of a wall or paving, and in a trough.